NEW DELHI, May 12: The WHO has urged all member states, the civil society, the private sector and communities to push for people-centred mobility policies, safer road design, safe vehicles and lower speed limits on the occasion of the 8th UN Global Road Safety Week.
The UN Global Road Safety Week is marked biennially, starting on the third Monday of May.
This year, the theme urges the world to make walking and cycling safe for everyone.
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Walking and cycling are an integral part of the multimodal transport systems in the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2020-2030, Saima Wazed, regional director, WHO South-East Asia, said.
They also promote healthy and sustainable cities and lifestyles, she added.
“Globally each year, road-traffic crashes take a devastating toll on our communities, claiming the lives of nearly 1.2 million (12 lakh) people and leaving up to 50 million (five crore) more with non-fatal injuries. These tragedies are not mere statistics. They are the loss of children, parents and loved ones, and are largely preventable,” Wazed said.
“Road-traffic injuries are now the leading cause of death among young people aged five to 29 years, and they continue to be a pressing public health concern in our WHO South-East Asia Region,” she said.
“In 2021 alone, our region accounted for more than 3.3 lakh deaths from road crashes, representing 28 per cent of the global total,” she added.
Vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and operators of two- and three-wheelers, made up for 66 per cent of those fatalities, Wazed said.
This year’s theme is a timely call to action.
“Pedestrians and cyclists already account for more than one in four road-traffic deaths. Ensuring their safety is not only a matter of saving lives, prioritising walking and cycling supports physical activity, which is a key modifiable risk factor for non-communicable diseases, such as heart diseases, stroke, diabetes and cancers. Walking and cycling also support mental well-being, helping to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety,” Wazed said.
Road safety is an important element of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guidance for healthy cities.
“In our region, the WHO partnership for healthy cities has been working extensively, with megacities, such as Mumbai and Bangkok, to address road safety and promote safe transportation. This includes improved designs of pedestrian walkways, through the assessment of hundreds of kilometres of roads and sidewalks and through universally inclusive designs for accessible walkways,” Wazed said.
Creating safe, inclusive and accessible roads for all in the densely-populated cities of South-East Asia is challenging, she pointed out.
“However, doing so will support the population, especially the most vulnerable, through improved community well-being and environmental sustainability. When we integrate road safety with the promotion of physical activity, we address interconnected challenges — injuries, non-communicable diseases, mental health and even climate change,” she said.
“I urge all member states, the civil society, the private sector and communities to push for people-centred mobility policies, safer road design, safe vehicles and lower speed limits,” Wazed said. (PTI)
